


How the Grinch Saved Christmas

by voluptuous_volus



Series: Once Upon a Holiday [1]
Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 23:45:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17273417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voluptuous_volus/pseuds/voluptuous_volus
Summary: Lizzie's Secret Santa works in mysterious ways





	How the Grinch Saved Christmas

Christmas is coming. The majority of the students of Salvatore Boarding School were out for the holidays, enjoying their long school break with families and late evening ski up in Nellysford. As the school was slowly being overwhelmed by the cold winds of December winter, Lizzie Saltzman found herself flinging the names of the remaining student body inside a fishbowl.

"Remember the rules, everyone!" Lizzie called out, rounding at the top of the staircase. Below were a dozen students, eyes glazed with palpable boredom. "One gift per day. Save your best one for—"

"Christmas Eve," Jed, the former werewolf alpha, hollered. "We get it, Lizzie. We're not five." Someone chortled at the back and the breathy laughter encouraged the other students to join in the mirth. 

Lizzie craned her neck and shoot daggers at the chortling form of Penelope Park. The girl responded with a mocking smile.

"Everyone line up! And no elbowing, please."

The signs of joys of the long-awaited holiday made its way in the lives of the students' way back when Lizzie erected a Christmas tree in early December. Christmas carols and jovial songs ensued in mid-December, right after Lizzie noticed that some students weren't in a festive mood. Three days before Christmas, Lizzie started her campaign to create the best Christmas experience for everyone, out of altruism…and out of ire because her parents suddenly thought it was cool to leave her and her sister at the school while they meet up in the coastline of Mozambique.

Lizzie promised to herself that she would fulfill her newfound purpose for the next days to come. 

"How do you do that?" Lizzie wondered aloud, out of curiosity, when Penelope suddenly sprung before her. Lizzie swore she was just hollering back at her sister, who was helping the three lower years to stay in the queue without elbowing everyone, and the next thing she knew, Penelope was in front of her.

Penelope grunted. "Let's get this over with."

"Right." Lizzie held out the fishbowl.

Penelope unrolled hers, grimacing at the name written on the paper. Before Lizzie could get a glimpse, an orange light settled around the fishbowl, leaving a sting on her hand.

"Secrecy jinx," Penelope looked smug. "Wouldn't it so much fun if everyone can't say who their giftee is?"

"What's the catch?" Jed whispered behind Penelope.

"Anyone who spills will look like the Grinch."

Penelope stood in tiptoes, her face right next to Lizzie's ear, grinning. Lizzie fought the need to roll her eyes.

"Have fun finding out who got your name, Lizzie."

"Bitch," Lizzie whispered back. 

 

***

Lizzie Saltzman would like to think that she brought the Christmas spirit in the monotonous and plain life of Salvatore Boarding School. In their boring blend of life as supernatural teenagers, the Christmas holidays had always been the only time when everyone forgets about everything and celebrate their long break with happiness and joy. The festive mood of the school's current disposition was evident from the younger students who, inspired by Penelope's spell, decided to jinx every snow ball to fly around the halls of the school.

"At least, no one dared to jinx the mistletoes," Josie whispered as they made their way to the line under the gigantic Christmas tree, where everyone agreed to leave their gifts behind. 

"Kissing random hot boys for Christmas? That's something I'd like to do."

Josie cringed. "Wait until you're forced to kiss Jed or—"

Lizzie stopped dead in her tracks. "Satan. Don't you have something else to do?"

Penelope dodged the question by smirking, waving her scented candles at her. "You really think I won't enjoy gag gifts, Lizzie? Just wait until I got the chance to sneak in your room and make it smell like—"

"How did you even know it was her?" Josie asked, eyeing the scented candles with great distaste. Lizzie caught the sight of Dirty Fart at the label and she was certain that she changed it to Vanilla and Rose. 

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Penelope winked at Josie. 

Josie's face flushed pink. She looked at Lizzie as though blaming her twin for her own voluntary reflex. 

"Also, M.G likes the Batman-themed perfume, Jojo."

"Stop calling her that."

"How did you know it was me?"

Penelope grinned in response, walking off with such confidence that left Josie with an even pinker face. 

After waiting for everyone to leave, Lizzie picked up her gift. It was covered with a satin-like cloth, pink and shiny, the kind that she would associate to an upscale perfume shop somewhere in New York… or France. She began to peel the covers, eyes widening as it revealed a very expensive looking perfume. 

Lizzie sprayed a little on her wrist and caught the smell of pansies and citrus notes. She sighed. For some reason, the fragrance took her back to the meadows outside the school where she used to play with Josie. With her eyes closed, she inhaled deeply and for a few seconds, she was ten all over again with honeysuckles on her ears, laughing alongside her twin.

"That's bewitched," Josie breathed, inhaling the pink scented mist. She was beaming and Lizzie was certain they reminiscence the same memory. "Hope's aunt is living in France, maybe it's from her." 

"I highly doubt Hope's going to give me something fancy."

"But definitely from a witch, yes?"

Lizzie nodded, mystified. 

"Who then?"

"I…" Lizzie chuckled, shaking her head. She never felt this happy before. "I don't know."

 

***

Lizzie was sitting in front of the fireplace when her second gift magically popped under the Christmas tree. It was in the form of a rectangular box, covered in shiny silver paper with a gold ball ornament string wrapping. Clearly, her Secret Santa knew her personally since the wrapping itself looked minimalist, and classy--- just the way she would have wanted. Lizzie couldn't help but grin.

"You're Secret Santa is clearly trying to impress you," Josie said as she handed the gift in her hands, eyeing it with high regard.

"And yours is clearly…" Lizzie eyed her twin's gift like it was a sort of Christmas nightmare. The gift was wrapped in a brown wrapping paper. "…from a guy. What is it?"

"Christmas sweater." Josie brandished a sparkly red Christmas sweater with a reindeer plushie on the center. It looked downright revolting and Lizzie was certain that she would set it on fire given the chance that Josie wasn't looking. "I've always wanted to have one."

"Ohh, Christmas sweater buddy," M.G said hi-fiving Josie. He donned the black and blue stripes sweater that Lizzie helped her twin purchased online.

Josie's eyes twinkled. "You look great in blue, M.G." 

"I know, right?" 

"You know who else looks great in blue?"

Of course, Penelope had to suddenly appear out of the thin air and ruin the moment. She wore the cerulean Christmas sweater Lizzie bought from a thrift shop somewhere at the outskirts of Mystical Falls. Penelope might be the evil incarnate, but Lizzie secretly and begrudgingly agreed that she did, in fact, looked great wearing her gift. 

"Go away, Evil One." Lizzie glared. 

"Already gone," Penelope smirked. "Hot tip: next time you want to buy something that will look a fashion disaster, don't ask your sister to accompany you. I'm pretty sure she picked this specifically to accentuate my features."

Josie turned bright red. "I did no such thing." 

Penelope waved, disappearing on a corner.

"Did you really?" M.G asked.

"Of course not, Lizzie told me to pick the tackiest—"

"—which, for some reason, looks great on your ex."

"It's not might fault she could turn the ugliest sweater into something fashionable."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "One word and I could burn her to ash."

"Next time, we're buying online." Josie huffed, "Forget about her. I want  
to see your present, Lizzie."

As usual, Lizzie's Secret Santa was a miracle worker. Gone was the annoyance caused by Penelope and was replaced with surprise and a hearty laugh from her twin. Right in front of Lizzie was a feather-soft cashmere scarf, crimson in color and with striking metallic detailing that screamed elegance. Sure, it looked a little out of style, but Lizzie remembered that was the same design she and her sister used to cut out of their mom's stacks of fashion magazines. 

"Isn't that the scarf we have always wanted to buy when we were kids?"

"The very same." Lizzie nodded, smiling wide.

"That's just cheating," M.G huffed. "I'm pretty sure your Secret Santa went beyond the budget."

"I'm pretty sure Lizzie's Secret Santa's is a childhood friend."

"It could be me."

"Yeah, no M.G. I'm pretty sure you'd look like the Grinch right now if it's actually you."

M.G scratched his head. "Oh yeah."

"It could be Hope."

"Or…"

"Or someone who's clearly paying attention to me." Lizzie beamed, wrapping the item around her neck. Soon, students began to flock over her, fawning at her scarf. She smiled widely—one of those smiles that rarely graced her lips. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality captured joy, showing the presence of the exultant roar of her heart. Josie looked at her, radiating with the same happiness.

"Whoever you are, you're amazing!"

 

***

It was half an hour before Christmas Eve. 

Lizzie found herself sitting by a window overlooking the entire Salvatore estate that was slowly being overwhelmed by a snowstorm. She had her slice of pudding in one hand; the other one was holding her fork, twirling in her fingers. By far, the last gift she received was unsurpassed; openly toppling over the dress her twin gave as her Christmas present.

Her Secret Santa literally decided to end her end night with a surprise. A huge surprise, in fact, that it left Lizzie and her twin crying and jumping for happiness. It left her with a smile she knew would perpetually stain her lips.

"Lizzie, the spell's weakening," Josie called out, brushing the sage that encircled the floor. It began to shimmer with an orange light. 

"One more hug!"

Lizzie stood up, stepping into the circle.

Her mom's hug was stronger than Lizzie remembered as if holding her wasn't quite enough and she had to feel every second that her body was pressed against her. Her father was the same, gently rubbing her arm, yet still leaving no space between them. In that moment of feeling her parents so close, Lizzie felt more alive and grateful than she had been in so many years. Her sister, sunk into the warmth of her side and was clearly appreciative of the gesture. A big warm hug. It was enough to make the room warmer and her Christmas less bleak.

"You two already figured out how to call the Secret Santa responsible for this? I really want to help you guys bake Christmas cookies."

"Caroline," Alaric chastised.

"But it's our tradition!"

Lizzie couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll make sure Josie doesn't burn the cookies this time, mom."

"And don't forget to add the frosting."

"We won't," Josie whispered, sniffling. "Be safe, okay?"

Alaric nodded. "The mission's almost done, we just need to cut some loose ends and before you know it, we're back at your side."

"We'll be back before New Year, we promise."

"Send pictures! I love—"

Lizzie stumbled at her sister's arms as her parents disappeared, leaving the smell of burned sage behind. Josie caught her in time, laughing as tears stained her cheeks.

Josie sniffed. "That's the best Christmas gift ever."

Lizzie couldn't help but agree. She wrapped her arms tightly around her twin, spraying kisses all over her face. 

"We should really start baking."

Lizzie hummed in response. "Start without me. I'll just pay my Secret Santa a visit."

Josie whirled around. "You know who it is?"

"I just realized who."

 

***

The heat of the enchanted fireplace settled on Lizzie's face, its warmth rekindling the memories of summers she and her twin spent in her Secret Santa's bedroom. In the swirl of red and orange flame, she found herself ticking with nervousness and a newfound respect for the girl emerging from the room's lone window.

"M.G? I swear to god if you're going to show me Batman's naked--" Penelope stopped dead on her tracks. "What are you doing here, Lizzie?"

"It's you, isn't it? My Secret Santa."

Penelope crossed her arms. 

"What gave it away?" At least, Penelope didn't have the gall to play dumb.

Lizzie slumped on Penelope's bed. She closed her eyes and for a moment, the scent of sister's perfume wafted on her nose. With one eye open, Lizzie caught the glimpse of Penelope stashing her sister's old sweater in her closet, the very same she knew Josie swore she lost in a party.

"Let's see. The perfume was cute, taunting me with memories that every kid in this school used to play with me and Josie. The scarf made me realize that it was either someone who clearly likes to pay attention to me—"Penelope rolled her eyes"—or someone who clearly spent their entire childhood right next to me and my sister. So it was either Jed, those nerds from spells class, Hope, and you."

"But what gave it away?" Penelope pressed, clearly not impressed with herself.

"The dinner party with my parents."

"Which could be done by Hope." Penelope wrinkled her nose. "She certainly has the skills to pull something like that."

"Hope would never do something like that."

"Something selfless? That's a leaf out of Hope Mikaelson's book."  
Lizzie raised her eyebrows in response. "The difference between you and Hope is that you'd go great lengths to make my sister happy. Everything about my Christmas is about her, right? Josie?"

Penelope huffed, filling the room with the smell of burning spliff. 

"You're supposed to think it was Hope."

"Yeah well, I didn't." Lizzie grimaced. 

There was a pregnant pause. 

"It's not about Josie," Penelope chortled, slightly surprised at the words that came out of her mouth. "Shocking, I know."

Lizzie gaped, feeling uncertain. Under the moonlight, Penelope looked tired. She looked nothing like the confident witch that was always armed with bitchy remarks. Gone was the air of confidence that always irked her. Her skin looked starkly white and Lizzie was certain there was a trail of dry blood at the edges of her nose. She could feel it: the magic within Penelope, or what left from casting a spell that made her Christmas eve complete, was on the verge of pushing the girl's body to spiral into exhaustion.

Lizzie was waiting for the usual quip or any indication, Jed jumping out of the shadows or some of her minions with a camera or something, that she was being punked at Christmas Eve. After an awkward silence, nothing came.

"You did all of these for me?"

"Took you long enough."

Lizzie's eyes sparked with irk.

Penelope sighed. "I've been introspecting."

Lizzie fought the need to chortle. Penelope was the kind of person who didn't like using a moral compass.

"And?"

"And…" Penelope groaned, clearly unimpressed with that she wasn't on the high ground. "I figured that I was the main asshole in the relationship. I blamed you for taking Lizzie's time all the time."

"And for sucking up all of her time, leaving her with no room for herself." Lizzie echoed, recalling the words that made her blow up with rage and guilt.

Penelope cringed. "Thinking back, I should have been by her side whenever you need her. I shouldn't have asked her to choose between you and me. That's what would have made me a good girlfriend, I think."

"Yeah well, I'm not exactly a saint either. I did suck up all the happiness out her."

"Look, Lizzie. I'm not doing this for Josie, alright? I just want to be less selfish." 

Penelope's eyes glazed with fleeting emotion and for a second, Lizzie was certain that the witch in front of her had a momentarily reminisced something that made her feel guilty.

"Thank you." 

Penelope looked spooked.

"Uhh…You're welcome, I guess."

Lizzie snorted. "Should I treat this as an apology?"

Penelope looked like she was fighting hard not to banter. "Treat it as whatever you want."

"I'm not saying that I'm ready to give out full clemency and that Josie's going to forgive you—"

Penelope waved her hand. "I'm not expecting the both of you to."

"But I think she and I would agree that everyone deserves a good Christmas." Lizzie stood and began to saunter towards the door. "Help Josie in the kitchen, I'm pretty sure she needs someone to teach her how to bake cookies."

Penelope faltered. She put the spliff on the desk and sat by the window, observing the state of the woods that was covered in thick sheets of snow. The snowstorm had stopped and the younger students began building snowmen. Somewhere, church bells began to clang and its melodic tune echoed throughout the school grounds.

Penelope had a small smile on her face. "Merry Christmas, Lizzie."

Lizzie smiled back. "Merry Christmas to you too."

***

Lizzie left Penelope behind the kitchen island, ticking with nervousness. Her twin, befuddled and fuming, raised her spatula reluctantly as though it was a weapon.

"Why is she here?" 

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Wait here while I get M.G and Hope. Also, Jo, you're not supposed to cream the butter and sugar by hand."

"She's right, you know," Penelope pointed out the mess, which made Josie irate even more.

"Penelope, do me a favor and tell Josie why you're here."

Penelope pulled a face. "You really like to see me suffer, do you?"

Lizzie nodded, smiling. "It's Christmas, be less selfish for once."

"Fine," Penelope sighed. "Look, Josie, I really don't want you to think that I did everything for selfish reasons, because I didn't. I'm just putting it out there, just in case you think otherwise."

"What?"

"I'm Lizzie's Secret Santa."

With a loud pop, Penelope's face changed to avocado green.

"Lizzie!" Penelope yelled.

Lizzie ran away, laughing. The last thing she saw was her twin, with adoration shining on her face, slowly pulling Penelope into a long passionate kiss.


End file.
